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MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana

MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana

Free Beginner Kana Practices

18K ratings
1184 reviews
With Ads
📚 Education
Free
In-App PurchasesWith Ads

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • February 24, 2017
  • August 2, 2024

Features

Developer

Overdreamer, LLC
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MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana screenshot #1 for iPhone
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iphone
ipad
🧾$19.99
In-App Purchase↘︎
📌Ready
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❓5 answered
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📦w/o updates
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About

Master Japanese Hiragana and Katakana with this engaging app. It offers authentic pronunciation, diverse practice methods, and vocabulary building to make learning enjoyable and effective. Start your Japanese journey with a supportive mascot and smart learning tools.

✓Learn all Hiragana and Katakana characters
✓Authentic Japanese voice recordings
✓14 practice varieties
✓Vocabulary building exercises
✓Smart weak spot identification
✓Practice with numbers and calendar words
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What users say

Summarized from real user reviews of MARU. Based on 18K reviews and a 4.9/5 average, it highlights the 12 positives and 4 negatives reviewers mention most about this Education app.

Positive things

  • 🚀Fun way to learn Japanese
  • 👍Great for memorizing hiragana and katakana
  • 👍User-friendly and simple
  • 👍Convenient and easy to use
  • 👍Helpful for reinforcing learning
  • 👍Affordable lifetime subscription
  • 👍Modular and customizable
  • 👍Cute and motivating
  • 👍Effective for beginners
  • 👍Smooth and clean interface
  • 👍Helpful for dyslexic learners
  • 👍Excellent for daily practice

Negative things

  • 🐛Issues with distinguishing similar sounds
  • 🐛Lack of writing practice
  • 🐛Limited vocabulary
  • 🐛Ads can be disruptive for some users
See all reviews

What's New in MARU

2.15

August 2, 2024

やっほー！ Your favorite Hiragana learning app just got an update (•u•): • New MARU(•u•) Design! I’ve given MARU a new app icon, brighter colors, and some new expressions. MARU’s lip-syncing is smoother now too. Let me know if you liked it! Thank you for your support! Keep learning with MARU!

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In-App Purchases

$19.99

Pro Upgrade (Lifetime)

Unlocks awesome features

User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

Easy and simple learning

Super good too learn Japanese and overall very simple to use 😸
GamerCat20GamerCat20

Amazing

Loved the thorough progression through each letter and sound I now know all the hiragana alphabet and it’s been a day on slow progression ありかたと
Chillcascade019Chillcascade019

Actually trying to help

Awesome app. Only shows you ads when you get 5 incorrect. Helps you to stay in the flow of learning. Unlike duolingo, you can practice as much as you want for free. Best language app I have used to date.
nicknameforatingnicknameforating

Amazing!

I love maru! This app has been so great! and makes it easier to learn kana with repetitive quizzes and introductions to vocabulary words! So far I am only partially into the hiragana section but am already starting to recognize some characters and even being able to sound out words I’m reading outside of the app. Definitely try it out !
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Koala34!Koala34!

Great app for mastering kana!

It makes it simple with customization features depending on how you prefer to study (just try all the buttons) I love the mascot it’s so cute! And you only get ads if you make a mistake or finish a drill early, sounds like a steal to me!
Mafuyu!Mafuyu!
See 1179 more reviews

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

2 issues

App crashes or freezes on some devices

Bug

Issues with text size and formatting on certain devices

Bug
✨

Requested Features

7 requests

Add support for dakuten and handakuten characters

Feature

Incorporate kanji learning

Feature

Allow selecting specific characters to practice

Feature

Add timed mode for quicker recognition

Feature

Provide stroke order demonstrations

Feature

Include more advanced vocabulary

Feature

Add ability to export learned content

Feature

FAQ

What does MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana do?

This app helps beginners learn Japanese Hiragana and Katakana. It focuses on making the learning process enjoyable and effective through various practice methods, authentic audio, and vocabulary building exercises.

What are the key features of the free version?

The free version includes all 105 Hiragana and Katakana characters, clear voice recordings by a professional voice actress, over 300 everyday words for practice, and a smart feature that identifies your weak spots. You'll also encounter minimal ads after every five mistakes.

How does the app make money?

The app is free to use with minimal ads. Users can choose to upgrade to a Pro Version through a one-time purchase for an ad-free experience, offline practice, writing and typing exercises, and access to more vocabulary words.

What kind of practice methods are available?

The app offers 14 different practice varieties, covering reading, writing, listening, and typing. It also includes vocabulary building, practicing Katakana with familiar Hiragana words, and learning Japanese words for numbers and calendar items.

Who is this app best suited for?

This app is ideal for individuals who are new to learning Japanese and want a structured and engaging way to master the fundamental Japanese writing systems, Hiragana and Katakana.